Temperatures in parts of Siberia plunged to minus 50 degrees Celsius, while blizzards blanketed Moscow in record snowfall and disrupted flights as a winter storm swept across Russia.
In the Republic of Sakha, which is located in the northeastern part of Siberia and where Yakutsk, one of the coldest cities in the world, is located, temperatures fell below minus 50 degrees Celsius, the weather stations in the region announced.
An abnormally early cold snap in Saha dropped temperatures as low as minus 50 C in several of its areas.
Almost complete Saha is located in the tundra zone. In the capital of the region, Yakutsk, located about 5,000 kilometers east of Moscow, the temperature was around minus 44 to minus 48 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius have become less common in recent years due to climate change, and the tundra is showing increasing signs of thawing.
In the Russian capital, some of the heaviest snowfall ever seen caused delays at some airports on Monday, with runways covered in thick snow.
At least 54 flights were delayed, and another five were canceled at the three largest airports in the capital, the RIA news agency reported.
Temperatures in Moscow are forecast to drop to around minus 18 C this week.
